One-hand operated ice cube tray

ABSTRACT

This cube tray consists primarily of a pair of parallel spaced apart divider walls running longitudinally of the tray, the divider walls having pivotable crosswise dividers, the combination being moved by means of levers secured to vertical members in which rollers are slideable, the rollers being pivotably secured to the ends of a depressible frame which is returnable by spring and plunger means.

nited States Patent 11 1 Qummings July 23, 1974 [54] ONE-HAND OPERATED ICE CUBE TRAY 2,576,591 11/1951 Geyer .1 249/72 X 2,776,545 1/1957 M'11 t l. 249/72 X [76] lnvemo Aaron Cummmgs, 4706 10th 2,908,146 10/1959 249 72 x Ave, N0. D3, Brooklyn, NY. 11219 Primary ExaminerJ. Howard Flint, Jr. [22] Filed: July 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 378,973 [57] ABSTRACT This cube tray consists primarily of a pair of parallel [52] U.S. Cl. 249/71, 249/69 Spaced apart dlvlder Walls running longitudinally of 51] 1111.01. B29c 7/00 the tray, the divider walls having pivotable crosswise 58 Field of Search 249/69, 70, 71, 72, 73, dividers," the combination being moved y means of v 1 249 7 75 levers secured to vertical members in which rollers are slideable, the rollers being pivotably secured to the 5 R f e Cited ends of a depressible frame which is returnable by UNITED STATES PATENTS Spring and Plunge means 2,181,591 11/1939 Smellie 249/70 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures break the ice cubes loose from the divider walls when a center frame portion is urged downwards by the user.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide an ice cube tray which will have the actuating levers urged towards the centerof the tray by the frame member when it is urged downwards, thus freeing the ice for easy removal from the tray.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tray of the type described which will have the levers secured fixedly to vertical members, the vertical members having diagonal and elongated openings in which rollers will provide the camming means for urging them toward each other when pressure is brought to bear upon the frame, the rollers being carried by the frame portion in the center of the tray.

Yet another object of this invention'is to provide an ice cube tray of the type described which will have a sleeve portion-beneath the frame in whichis carried a plunger, consisting of a shaft and piston, the shaft being secured to the under side of the frame and the piston being urged against aspring within the lower portion of the sleeve, the spring serving as return means for the frame to its upward position.

A further object of this invention isto provide a tray of the type described which may utilize a block of key shaped cross-sectional configurations for use in urging downwards upon the frame as so to free the ice cubes.

.Other, objects of the invention are to provide an ice cube tray which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction and is easy to use while being efficient in operation.

These and other objects will become readily evident upon a study of the following specification together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the present invention; I

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 shown in elevation and partly broken away;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the longitudinal wall members of one portion of the device, the view being shown fragmentated and in elevation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of lengths-Wise divider; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of cross-leaf member for use with the device of FIG. 4.

According to this invention, an ice cube tray is shown to have a center compartment 11 defined by a pair of parallel spaced apart walls 12 between which is carried a U-shaped configurated frame 13 which is elevatable between walls 12. A pair of rollers 14 are rotatably carried upon pins 15 extending inwards from the sides of frame 13, the rollers 14 being carried, each, in an angularly positioned and elongated slot 16 of vertical members 17 which are apart of the lengthwise dividers. i

Rollers 14 when tray 10 is operated to remove the ice cubes therefrom,serves as cam means against the edges of slot 16 of vertical member 17 in order to urge levers 18 towards the center of tray 10. The downwardly extending ends 19 of levers 18 are secured fixedly to the vertical members 17 for a purpose which'hereinafter will be described.

' The levers 18 are in sliding engagement with the upper edges of the longitudinal divider walls 20 which have a plurality of spaced apart slots 21. The cross-wise divider walls 22 are carried within slots 21 within tray 10, so as to enable the divider walls 22 to be pivoted so as to loosen the ice cubes for removal from tray 10.

The divider walls 22 are attached to member 24 of levers 18 so as to enable levers 18 to pivot divider walls 22. A sleeve 25 is fixedly secured in a suitable manner to the interior of the bottom of tray 10 and on the interior of sleeve 25 is a slideable piston 26 secured to rod 27, the opposite end of rod 27 being fixedly secured to the under side of frame 13 for the operation of tray 10. The piston 26 and rod 27 serve as plunger means against the spring 28 within sleeve 25, when frame 13 is urged downwards so as to loosen the ice cubes within tray 10.

It will be noted that a plurality of openings 29 through the bottom of tray 10 enables the center compartment 11 to be free of water at all times so that the mechanism will function properly after removing the tray 10 from the freezer compartment of a refrigerator, or the like.

In use, the block fay or the users fingers of one hand 7 may be used to urge downwards upon the frame 13 so as to loosen the ice cubes within tray 10. When frame 13 is urged downwards, piston 26 and rod 27 urges spring 28 downwards against the bottom of tray 10, simultaneously, the rollers 14 within the slots 15 of vertical members 17 will cause a camming action which is the means for urging vertical members 17 towards each other with their attached levers 18, the result being that the cross-wise divider walls 22 will pivot and forcibly release the ice cubes within the compartments defined by walls 20 and 22. When pressure is released from frame 13, the spring 28 urges piston 26 and its attached rod 27 upwards, thus lifting frame 13 to its full elevated position.

When the afore-mentioned occurs, the levers 18 will then be urged away from each other again by the camming action of the rollers 14 and slots 16, combination.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that a modified longitudinal di-' vider wall 31 which includes a top member 32 in sliding engagement with a bottom member 33 the members 32 and 33 having slots 34 for accommodating cross-wise divider walls 35 which have slot 36 means for receiving divider wall 31.

What I now claim is:

1. A one-hand operated ice cube tray, comprising a U-shaped configurated frame member, a plurality of rollers carried by said frame member providing cam means within angularly positioned slots of vertical members carried beneath said frame, lever members carried by said vertical members for pivoting the crosswise divider walls forloosening the ice cubes within said tray, rod and piston means within a sleeve, carried within said tray for depressing a spring which returns said frame to its full upward position after removing the downward pressure. from said frame, T-shaped block means carried by said tray providing alternate means for depressing said frame.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said frame was carried within a central compartment defined by a pair of parallel spaced apart walls running cross-wise of said tray on its interior, said vertical members having the downwardly bent ends of said levers secured fixedly thereto so as to pivot said cross-wise divider walls away from said ice cubes so that said cubes may be removed from said tray.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the ends of said frame which is depressible, are provided with said rollers secured pins projecting from said frame, said rollers being in rolling engagement with the edges of an elongated slot diagonally disposed within each of said vertical walls, the arrangement being such that said rollers will cam said vertical walls and their attached levers inwards towards the center of said tray, thus pivoting said cross-wise divider walls to forcibly separate said ice cubes for removal from said tray.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said piston and rod members are secured fixedly to the under side of said frame, said piston portion urging against one end of said frame carried within said sleeve with said piston and rod, said spring providing means for automatically and forcibly urging said frame to its full upward position so as to enable said tray to be refilled with water for freezing into ice cubes.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the opposite end of said spring urging against the bottom wall interior of said tray and members at the upper extremity of said cross-wise divider walls, are secured to said levers so as to enable said levers to be pivoted from the bottom portions of said cross-wise divider walls, said central compartment carrying said operating mechanism being provided with a plurality of spaced apart openings for the drainage of water that may be received within said center compartment, said openings providing a means of keeping said water out of said compartment so as to enable said mechanism of said tray to be filnctional when the water receiving portions of said tray are filled with ice. 

1. A one-hand operated ice cube tray, comprising a U-shaped configurated frame member, a plurality of rollers carried by said frame member providing cam means within angularly positioned slots of vertical members carried beneath said frame, lever members carried by said vertical members for pivoting the crosswise divider walls for loosening the ice cubes within said tray, rod and piston means within a sleeve, carried within said tray for depressing a spring which returns said frame to its full upward position after removing the downward pressure from said frame, T-shaped block means carried by said tray providing alternate means for depressing said frame.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said frame was carried within a central compartment defined by a pair of parallel spaced apart walls running cross-wise of said tray on its interior, said vertical members having the downwardly bent ends of said levers secured fixedly thereto so as to pivot said cross-wise divider walls away from said ice cubes so that said cubes may be removed from said tray.
 3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the ends of said frame which is depressible, are provided with said rollers secured pins projecting from said frame, said rollers being in rolling engagement with the edges of an elongated slot diagonally disposEd within each of said vertical walls, the arrangement being such that said rollers will cam said vertical walls and their attached levers inwards towards the center of said tray, thus pivoting said cross-wise divider walls to forcibly separate said ice cubes for removal from said tray.
 4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said piston and rod members are secured fixedly to the under side of said frame, said piston portion urging against one end of said frame carried within said sleeve with said piston and rod, said spring providing means for automatically and forcibly urging said frame to its full upward position so as to enable said tray to be refilled with water for freezing into ice cubes.
 5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the opposite end of said spring urging against the bottom wall interior of said tray and members at the upper extremity of said cross-wise divider walls, are secured to said levers so as to enable said levers to be pivoted from the bottom portions of said cross-wise divider walls, said central compartment carrying said operating mechanism being provided with a plurality of spaced apart openings for the drainage of water that may be received within said center compartment, said openings providing a means of keeping said water out of said compartment so as to enable said mechanism of said tray to be functional when the water receiving portions of said tray are filled with ice. 